May 1, 2013

Loaded owner launched new weekly after failed bids to buy Nuts and Zoo

The owner of lads’ magazine Loaded has revealed how he tried to buy rival titles Nuts and Zoo.

In an interview with Press Gazette, Paul Baxendale-Walker ruled out offering to buy them again having now launched a new weekly, Zip.

The new magazine was launched in February and is claiming sales of 6,000 so far – but Baxendale-Walker says his target is to reach at least 25,000.

He said he doesn’t believe the title will bring any new readers to the sector and predicted Zip, which has a large focus on sports and betting, will take readers from IPC's Nuts and Bauer’s Zoo.

“So, I’m sorry Nuts and Zoo. But, hey, I offered to buy you,” he said.

“I said I’d buy them and then they didn’t get round to saying yes,” he said. “They were just not getting back to us adequately so I said: ‘Fine, we’ll do it ourselves then.’”

According to ABC figures, Nuts’ average print circulation between July-December 2012 was 80,186 (down 29.7 per cent), while Zoo’s was 44,068 (down 19.3 per cent).

Asked why he believes Zip can succeed in a flagging market he said: “What did Julius Caesar say to Pompey?

“Well, quite a few things probably. But one of the things he said was more people worship the rising sun than the setting.”